Ndamukong Suh Says He Isn’t a Dirty Player Until His Mom Says He Is

The Detroit Lions have quickly become one of the most intriguing stories of the preseason. Many believe this could be the year they take the next step, and their preseason performance against the Patriots Saturday night helped confirm those beliefs. The Lions defense appears to be on a mission and if Matthew Stafford is healthy their offense could create fireworks.

One player who has been fun to talk about for a variety of reasons is Ndamukong Suh. While we here at LBS enjoy and respect the way Suh plays the game, his reputation as a dirty player continues to grow across the league. Incidents from last year like this one and others from this season like the punch he threw at Logan Mankins on Saturday have resulted in a spanking from the media. At this point, it sounds like Suh couldn’t care less.

“I’m going to continue to play hard and play within the rules as I have been,” Suh told CBSSports.com on Sunday. “When I’ll consider myself a dirty player is when my mom tells me (I am).

“Do I regret (the incident)? The funny thing about the whole situation is that I wasn’t the one who got the 15-yard penalty for grabbing the facemask … I didn’t know you can’t help protect one of your teammates.”

In his defense, Suh discussed the punch with Saturday’s officials and was able to avoid a fine from the league so he must have had a case. The bottom line is he now has a bulls eye on his back. Personally, I love his game and the way he goes full speed all the time. However, being labeled a “dirty player” this early in his career could be problematic for the anchor of Detroit’s defense whether fair or unfair.